Return Of The Cosmic God

The mess hall doors slid open with their usual low hiss, and Captain Zhang stepped inside. Her sharp eyes immediately scan the room. Her uniform is immaculate, as always, and her posture is as commanding as ever.

"Why is it so dark in here?" she muttered while stepping further inside.

The moment she was fully in the room, Joseph hit the lights.

"SURPRISE!"

The shout was deafening. Confetti cannons exploded, holographic balloons popped into existence, and the ship's improvised band struck up a lively… if slightly off-key… tune…

For a moment, Zhang froze. Her piercing gaze swept across the room, taking in the decorations, the awkwardly smiling crew, and the banner overhead.

The silence was unbearable.

"She's gonna kill us…" Harris whispered from his hiding spot.

Zhang's brow furrowed; her lips pressed into a thin line. The entire room seemed to hold its breath, waiting for her reaction…

I exchanged a nervous glance with Joseph, who, for once, looked slightly less confident…

"Captain Zhang…" Joseph said hesitantly, stepping forward with a nervous smile. "Happy birthday..."

Zhang's eyes locked onto him, and for a split second, I thought she might actually strangle him. But then, something unexpected happened.

Her expression softened, and the faintest hint of a smile appeared on her face. "You guys... did all this for me?!"

Joseph's grin returned in full force. "Of course! You're the heart and soul of this mission. We couldn't just let your birthday pass without celebrating."

Zhang shook her head, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "You're all insane..."

"Insanely grateful…" Joseph said, winking.

Finally, Zhang let out a full laugh—a rare, melodic sound that instantly eased the tension in the room. The crew erupted into cheers; their relief was palpable…

With the initial awkwardness behind us, the party quickly came to life. The band played a mix of Earth classics and improvised space-themed jingles, filling the mess hall with music and laughter…

Eva and Harris brought out the cake… slightly lopsided but surprisingly well-decorated—and the crew sang an off-key but enthusiastic rendition of "Happy Birthday..." Zhang even allowed herself a small piece, though she declined Joseph's offer to personally feed it to her…

"You're pushing your luck, Mr. Joseph..." she said, though her tone held no real bite.

"Worth it…" Joseph replied with a grin.

As the event went on, the atmosphere grew more relaxed. Crew members mingled, sharing stories and jokes, and even Captain Zhang seemed to let her guard down…

It was during a lull in the music that Joseph made his move. He stood up on one of the tables, clinking his glass of synth wine to get everyone's attention…

"Ladies and gentlemen…" he began, his voice booming, "if I could have your attention for just a moment..."

The room fell silent, all eyes turned to him.

"Tonight, we're not just celebrating the birthday of our fearless captain," Joseph continued, his tone unusually sincere. "We're celebrating the incredible leader, the brilliant strategist, and—most importantly—the amazing woman who has kept us all alive and sane for two years..."

A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the room, and Zhang raised an eyebrow. She was clearly suspicious of where this was going…

"And so…" Joseph said, pulling a small box from his pocket, "there's something I've been wanting to ask for a long time…"

The room collectively gasped as Joseph opened the box, revealing a simple but elegant ring.

"Captain Zhang…" he said, dropping to one knee, "will you marry me?!"

For a moment, the room was so quiet you could hear the hum of the ship's engines. Zhang stared at Joseph; her expression unreadable…

Then she stood, crossing her arms. "Joseph, have you completely lost your mind?!"

Joseph blinked, his confidence faltering. "Uh... maybe?!"

"You think you can just propose to your commanding officer in front of the entire crew?!" she asked, her voice sharp.

Joseph scratched the back of his head. "Well, when you put it like that, it does sound kind of reckless..."

"It's more than reckless…" Zhang said, stepping closer. "It's insubordinate, inappropriate, and... utterly ridiculous…"

Joseph winced. "Right. Got it. Sorry, Captain. I just…"

Before he could finish, Zhang sighed, and to everyone's surprise, she started laughing.

"Joseph…" she said, shaking her head, "you're impossible…"

"Is that a, yes?!" Joseph asked hopefully.

Zhang smirked. "Yes, you idiot. I'll marry you..."

The room erupted into cheers, and Joseph grinned like a kid on Christmas morning.

As the celebration continued, Joseph slipped the ring onto Zhang's finger, his grin never fading…

"You won't regret this, Captain," he said, clearly elated.

"You'd better hope not…" Zhang replied though the glimmer of affection in her eyes was unmistakable.

I shook my head, laughing as I clapped Joseph on the back. "Only you could pull something like this off…"

"Hey…" he said, shrugging. "What can I say? I'm irresistible..."

And as the party carried on into the night, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride… not just in Joseph's absurdly bold move, but in the crew as a whole. In the vast emptiness of space, we had managed to create something extraordinary: a sense of family…

The celebration had finally wound down, and the mess hall was quiet once more. Most of the crew had retired to their quarters, their laughter and chatter replaced by the soft hum of the ship's engines…

I found myself wandering, drawn almost instinctively to the observatory. It was my favorite place on the ship…. a small, quiet room with a massive viewport that stretched across one wall, offering a beautiful view of the cosmos…

Sitting in the solitude of the observatory, I let out a long breath. My eyes were fixed on the infinite expanse of stars outside. It was beautiful, but there was a weight to it...

The vastness of space often comforted me, but tonight, it felt... different.

"Hey, buddy…" a familiar voice called out from behind, breaking the silence.

I turned to see Joseph and Captain Zhang standing at the entrance. Joseph was grinning, as always, while Zhang's expression was softer than usual… a rare glimpse of warmth in her stern demeanor…

"What are you doing up here all alone?!" Joseph asked, walking over and plopping down on the bench beside me. Zhang followed more slowly, taking a seat across from us.

"Just... thinking…" I said while shrugging.

Joseph raised an eyebrow. "Thinking, huh? That's a dangerous thing... Should I be worried?!"

I rolled my eyes. "Not everything's a joke, Joseph…"

"Sure, it is," he replied, flashing his signature grin.

 "Speaking of which, shouldn't you be congratulating me and my lovely fiancée here?" He gestured dramatically toward Zhang, who sighed but didn't protest.

I couldn't help but smile. "Congratulations…" I said sincerely, looking between them. "I mean it. You two... you make a good team..."

"Damn right we do…" Joseph said while puffing out his chest. "The dynamic duo of space exploration and love..."

Zhang rolled her eyes but smirked. "You're impossible..."

"And you love it…" Joseph shot back, earning a small laugh from her.

Turning back to me, Joseph nudged my shoulder. "But seriously, thanks, man. You've been with me through all of this—my failed attempts at flirting, the scoldings, the times I thought she was going to have me court-martialed..."

"I still might…" Zhang said dryly, though the corner of her mouth quirked upward.

Joseph grinned. "See? She's crazy about me…"

For a while, the three of us sat in comfortable silence while staring out at the stars. The vastness of the universe stretched endlessly before us...

"It's incredible, isn't it?!" Zhang said softly, breaking the quiet. "All of this. The stars, the galaxies, the unknown. It's why we're here, isn't it? To explore. To find something bigger than ourselves..."

"Yeah," Joseph agreed, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "Though I think I've already found my 'something bigger…'" He gave Zhang a playful nudge, earning another eye roll.

I chuckled, but the sound felt hollow. My gaze remained fixed on the stars, a knot of unease tightening in my chest…

"What about you, Shin?!" Joseph asked suddenly.

"What's going on in that overthinking brain of yours?"

I hesitated, unsure of how to put it into words. Finally, I spoke, my voice quiet but steady…

"I can feel it…" I said, my eyes never leaving the viewport.

Joseph frowned. "Feel what?"

"It…" I repeated my voice barely above a whisper. "The box. It's... calling to me. Getting closer. I don't know how to explain it, but it's there. I can feel it, like a shadow at the edge of my mind…"

The room fell silent. Joseph and Zhang exchanged a glance, their earlier lightheartedness replaced by concern…

"What does it feel like?!" Zhang asked, her tone calm but firm.

"Like it's waiting…" I said, finally turning to look at them. "Watching. And the closer we get to Kepler, the stronger it feels. It's not just in my head—it's... real..."

Joseph, ever the joker, looked like he wanted to say something sarcastic, but he held back. "Do you think... I mean, do you think it's dangerous?!"

"I don't know…" I admitted. "But it's connected to me somehow. And I think, whatever it is... it's waiting for me…." Zhang leaned forward, her sharp gaze locking onto mine. "If it's real, we'll face it together. You're not alone in this, Takamiya. Whatever happens, this crew will have your back…"

I nodded, appreciating her words…

The three of us sat there a while longer, the weight of the conversation lingered in the air. Joseph eventually broke the tension with a joke, earning groans from both me and Zhang, but his humor, as always, lightened the mood…

As they left the observatory hand in hand, I stayed behind, my eyes fixed once again on the stars. The vastness of the universe stretched before me, but for the first time, it didn't feel comforting…

Instead, it felt like something was waiting. Watching…

And it was getting closer.

On a typical working day suddenly, an announcement came over the ship's intercom early in the morning. As the crew was thinking about what the announcement might be about the tension grew on the ship…

"Attention, the crew of The Odyssey, we are officially six months away from entering the orbit of Kepler-009AV. All departments, begin final preparation schedules."

The message was repeated twice, but no one needed the reminder. The entire ship had been buzzing with activity for weeks now and the weight of the mission's final stretch pressed down on everyone.

The usually calm and routine-driven ship had transformed into a hive of activity. The engineering team, led by Chief Engineer Evans, worked around the clock to ensure the ship's systems were functioning perfectly. The hum of diagnostics, the clatter of tools, and the occasional burst of frustrated yelling filled the corridors near the engine rooms…

Meanwhile, the scientific division was poring over data, reviewing protocols, and rehearsing exploratory procedures. Tables in the labs were strewn with holographic displays, samples from previous missions, and an overwhelming amount of coffee cups…

In the navigation hub, the atmosphere was equally tense. Star charts and trajectory models flickered on the walls as the navigation team double-checked their approach vectors...

Even the mess hall was affected by it, with the culinary team working to optimize food supplies for the landing team and the onboard crew who would remain in orbit.

Joseph and I were no exception to the chaos. Our schedules were also packed with simulations, equipment checks, and mission briefings. Even Captain Zhang, who usually maintained a composed and calculated demeanor, seemed to be everywhere at once, overseeing every department with her trademark intensity…

"Shin, you checked the inventory logs for the EVA suits, right?" Joseph asked as we walked briskly toward the equipment bay.

"I did it this morning…." I replied, running a hand through my hair. "What about the tether systems?"

Joseph waved me off. "Already double-checked. Twice. I'm not that lazy, you know..."

I snorted. "Says the guy who tried to skip morning briefings for three weeks straight..."

Joseph grinned. "Hey, you're supposed to let the past stay in the past, buddy…"

Our days were a blur of tasks. We ran diagnostics on the landing pods, tested communication relays, and sat through seemingly endless briefings on Kepler's atmospheric conditions and potential hazards…

There were training sessions, too… simulations of everything from piloting the landing pods to conducting emergency repairs. Even though we had been through these drills countless times, the reality of approaching Kepler-009AV gave every exercise an extra boost...

"Why does it feel like we're preparing for a final exam we'll never pass?" Joseph muttered during one particularly grueling session.

"Because we kind of are…" I said while wiping sweat from my brow.

"Great. Can we at least get extra credit for not dying?"

The crew's interactions had changed, too. People who had once been friendly and relaxed were short-tempered now. They snapped at each other over minor mistakes…

In one memorable incident, two members of the engineering team—Lieutenant Harris and Technician Young—got into a shouting match over a mislabeled data file. Captain Zhang had to step in to stop them...

Joseph and I tried to lighten the mood in whatever way we could, cracking jokes or pulling harmless pranks…

TO BE CONTINUED